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Song of the Brewery
Songs of the Brewery, (June 2005) used the built environment of the Beamish and Crawford brewery as both the set and the inspiration for an installation and radio programme. The piece incorporated interviews with three generations of workers on themes of local relevance, such as their personal experience of working in the brewery, and local history, to larger issues such as globalisation and world economy. It was commissioned by Arttrail for Cork Capital of Culture.
St Anne’s Belfry, Cork, 30 June- 31st July 2005
This large scale brewery was established in the nineteenth century and has remained a Cork name and landmark ever since. Whilst the building and the stout are known to all, the experiences and memories of those who have worked there and the cacophony of sounds that form part of the brewing, fermenting and bottling process are not so familiar.
Using the built environment of the brewery as both the set and the inspiration for the installation, Songs of the Brewery sound art project sought to offer the public a subjective sonic portrait of the plant.
These recordings, which constitute the main auditory experience for the installation were devised during a period of residency with Art Trail. The sound piece incorporates interviews with three generations of workers, location recordings, sampling, electroacoustic compositions and voice-over.
Songs of the Brewery was first presented as a sound installation on the 2 main levels of the belfry of St Anne’s church, in the Shandon area of Cork.
St Anne’s church is a renowned tourist spot where visitors can climb the tower and play the bells. Listeners were invited to either sit and to the work or actively participate in the installation by ‘playing the bells’, a sonic reminder of the former Beamish brewery bell that used to call the men to work and release them at the end of the day.
Using the built environment of the brewery as both the set and the inspiration for the installation, Songs of the Brewery sound art project sought to offer the public a subjective sonic portrait of the plant.
These recordings, which constitute the main auditory experience for the installation were devised during a period of residency with Art Trail. The sound piece incorporates interviews with three generations of workers, location recordings, sampling, electroacoustic compositions and voice-over.
Songs of the Brewery was first presented as a sound installation on the 2 main levels of the belfry of St Anne’s church, in the Shandon area of Cork.
St Anne’s church is a renowned tourist spot where visitors can climb the tower and play the bells. Listeners were invited to either sit and to the work or actively participate in the installation by ‘playing the bells’, a sonic reminder of the former Beamish brewery bell that used to call the men to work and release them at the end of the day.
Song of the Brewery was broadcast on the Austrian art programme Kunst Radio in April 2006.
Listen to an extract
Download project information.
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